Congrats to Zion for puttin in work and going no.1 in the 2019 NBA Draft. The flip side, it's unfortunate that all great players can't play where they want. The glum look on Zion's face as the ping pong ball bounced in favor of New Orleans said it all. A recent article in ESPN put it bluntly 'Let Zion Play Where He Wants' I agree. To be somewhere you don't want to be for the most formidable years of your life and career is just downright unjust. Think about someone telling you where you have to work and live and ultimately raise a family. They call it a player's league but is it really? After seven years in New Orleans (seven years of mediocrity) Anthony Davis put on his big boy pants and requested a trade to L.A. despite the fact that New Orleans had the number one pick in Zion. Imagine Zion and Anthony Davis on the same team. Sounds amazing right? Wrong. Not in New Orleans. Davis had enough and hit the road. Zion may not be as nice and wait seven years. He may request a trade after one or two seasons after witnessing the luster on his star getting cloudier and cloudier. Why waste time being somewhere you don't want to be despite the gumbo and the beignets.
Think about Kawhi who just won a 'chip'. The fan's, heck the whole country, loves him but despite this love he may not return. He want's Los Angeles. And for good reason. After being in small market San Antonio and winning a chip and finals mvp his stock barely ticked upward. Same thing in Toronto with an entire country behind him, his stock will barely tick upward. Matter fact even though Toronto just won the NBA championship the biggest news was Anthony Davis being traded to Los Angeles. Nobody thought twice about what Toronto had just accomplished. The big news story was Davis to L.A. I'm glad they didn't announce it during the final game of the series as I'm sure the network would have switched coverage, albeit to the chagrin of the Jurassic Park faithful. Ha, be in Los Angeles, win a chip in L.A. Well I don't even need to pontificate on what that does for a career for a legacy. And Kawhi knows this as well. Let's keep an eye on this over the next few weeks as free agency in the NBA unfolds but my guess is he'll ditch the small markets and move to the grand daddy of em all.
It's been said of Davis that after being in the league for 7 years, with multiple all star appearances and numerous accolades has less Instagram followers than two year Laker fave Kyle Kuzma. This goes to the power of being in L.A. The ink isn't dry yet on Anthony Davis' contract, earliest this can be made official is July 6, and he already has multiple endorsements and been included as a cast member in LA Brons' oops LeBrons' upcoming Space Jam Movie.
Deandre Ayton who has a similar game to Zion, wait who? Deandre Ayton, you don't know or remember him? He went no. 1 in last years draft but oh yea went to Phoenix. What a waste. My advice to Ayton is the same advice I give Zion, get out while you're still young kid.
